Precision agriculture for fodder corn in Galicia

MILLOPRECISO focuses on the development of precision agriculture in fodder corn in Galicia, a technique that allows an efficient resources management to improve crop yield.

Its goal is to develop a procedure for yield mapping that can refine the raw data errors recorded by self-propelled forage harvesters. The proper treatment of the information will add value to the use of yield mapping to optimize the dose of sowing and fertilizer in fodder corn in Galicia. By analysing the quality of the obtained data, a processing method will be established to purify it and to obtain maps that could be used to improve the efficiency of the production system of fodder corn in Galicia.

Objectives

• To develop a new reliable procedure for decision making in fodder corn available to farmers and livestock owners. In doing so, the economic and environmental sustainability of dairy cattle farms will be improved.
• To develop an improved yield mapping methods by refining the raw data collected by harvesters. To this end, detected systematic and random errors will be eliminated and a protocol will be established to carry out this information processing.
• To introduce the required technology to document, in real time and georeferenced, the production of fodder corn of a specific patch. Check its correct behaviour and provide operators the needed training to use it.
• Use the information of yield mapping obtained by the harvesters to optimize sowing and fertilization on fodder corn patches.

Expected results

• Development of cleaning raw data protocols from yield mapping in fodder corn crops.
• Reliable yield maps for crop management in fodder corn crops.
• Availability of precision agriculture technologies for yield mapping in fodder corn crops in Galicia. Trained workers for practical use on farms.
• Optimization of sowing and fertilization operations in fodder corn patches based on yield mapping information.
• Good practices guide to carry out the yield maps.

MILLOPRECISO is funded by grants for the execution of operational groups of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP), 75% co-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for the rural Development (EAFRD), in the framework of the 2014-2020 Galician Rural Development Program (RDP).

The Consellería do Medio Rural is the Galician Administration authority responsible for proposing and executing the general guidelines in the rural scope and encompasses powers in agriculture, livestock, rural development, and regional planning, rural structures, agri-food, and forestry industries, mountains, and prevention and defence against forest fires.

Total project budget: €180,000 Total grant: €180,000.

The MILLOPRECISO operational group is responsible of these contents.